John Hays (22 July 1949[1] – 13 November 2020) was a British businessman, and the founder/CEO of Hays Travel, now the largest independent travel agency in the UK.[2]
Career
Hays earned a degree in mathematics from the University of Oxford.[3] He later earned an MBA from Manchester Business School.[4] In 1980, Hays founded Hays Travel in the back of his mother's children's wear store in Seaham, Durham.[5] Hays owned 56.42% and his wife Irene owned 43.58%.[6]
Personal life
John Hays married Irene Lucas in 1997. She has chaired the company since his death. The couple had two children.[3]
Death
John Hays died on 13 November 2020, aged 71, after collapsing at the company's Sunderland head office.[7][8]
References
- Jeff Brown. John Hays obituary The Guardian, 10 December 2020^
- About Hays Travel | UK's Largest Independent Travel Agent | Hays Travel www.haystravel.co.uk^
- Coreena Ford. Meet the couple behind Hays Travel as they offer hope to thousands of Thomas Cook staff Chronicle, 9 October 2019, retrieved 11 October 2019^
- What I've learnt: John Hays North East Times, retrieved 3 August 2020^
- Rob Davies. 'We're no country bumpkins': Meet the couple who bought Thomas Cook The Guardian, 11 October 2019, retrieved 11 October 2019^
- Hays Travel Limited Global Database, retrieved 18 September 2020^
- Hays Travel founder dies after collapsing at work BBC News, 13 November 2020, retrieved 13 November 2020^
- Saffron Otter. John Hays, founder of Hays Travel, dies aged 71 Manchester Evening News, 13 November 2020, retrieved 18 November 2020^